Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-06-29

Tho Astonishing Luck OF Mr.. and Mt
MackaY. Flood. O,Rrian and rair

mackay, Flood, O'Brien and Tair.
A Virginia City (Nev.) correspondent Of
the Philadelphia Press, gossips as follows
about some OF the most prominent Pacific
coast millionaires: John Mackay the sud
denly enriched, and one Of the sbonanzan
kings Of 1875 in Nevada, is perhaps the best
known of all the men who made millions
during the days that Nevada poured out
her treasures TO enrich the lucky and per-
slstent Irishmen. John Macxay, the one
time miner and laborer, now mixes with
the great world Of two continents. Isaw
him short time ago-the same unassum-
ing man as ofyore-quiet, gentlemanly. of
plain attire, sporting 81 50 nickel watch
without q chain, AMI wearing absolutely nj
jewelry. He was accompanied by a well
known Comstocker, one Dick Dey, a sort
of groom Of the chambers or jumping zach
to keep of strikers Mackay spends
most of his time in this country per
sonally look ing after his banking and tel
egraph interests, while Madame Is
Duchesse'' as some envious California
danes have ironically entitled Mrs
Mackay, spends all her time in Europe
The rise of the bonanza" firm sounds
like miracle, but Mrs. Mackay's career
has been still more striking.
The daughter Of a resident of Nevads
City, Cal, she was early noted for heI
rich, voluptuous beauty. She married
practicing physician, who, "early in the
game" became addicted to the wine cup
Hoping to better his fortunes, and posi-
bly, to reform his habits, he migrated II
Virginia City previous to 1870. Here ht
gave free play to his appetite for whisky.
and it was but short time ere he ''passeo
in his chips" His wife was left PENN
less. With true American ''sand" she
started in to make living for herself
Obi
house, and, as the Paris Figaro satirically
said few years ago in a notice OF
Madame: 1.-THE miners were united il
their judgment that it was as good
clearinghouse as there was in the dig.
gings." About this time MaclIay got his
first Si00,oO0 together, and began casting
sleeps eyes at the fair widow. He paid
her some attentions, and some one laugh.
ingly rallied her about it, and suggested
that she would do we'll to marry him,
whereupon there ensued a very large
pout and string of adjectives not alto
gether complimentary TO the swain. dc
not vouch for this. only repeat the Their
current Comstock gossip. At all events,
she did marry Mackay. And what change
was there, my countrymenl Il
looks not unlike a marriage of con.
venience, as madame moves amid
foreign scenes Of grandeur, and ''haughty
halls OF light, all in her silk attire,n while
her lord and master drifts around in
twelve dollar suit of tweed and wonders
what madame finds so very enhancing
about Paris. She has the finest diamonds
in existence, gives the grandest fetes, re.
chnes IN palaces and-has pie every day ii
she wants it.
1t must make Flood, another member o,
the "bonanza" firm, laugh a sort OF
hoarse, gloating laugh when he reflects
that score OF years ago himself ano
BILLY" O'Brien kept the Auction Lunch
saloon on Washington street opposite the
post-ofice in San Francisco, and the lunch
was brought down regularly at clever
O'Clock every morning by Mrs. Flood!
round Of beef, few potatoes, some bread
butter and radishes. o mel o myI But
the wonderful lamp must have beer
lying around on some Of the black
shelves, and certainly Jim" Flood
must have rubbed up against it by
accident, for it is related that when the
genii appeared and asked to know Their
wishes the partners were so overcome
with surprise that they treated five PEG.
| pie who were in the saloon. Billy O'Brien
finally made known his wishes. "All
want" he said, sis enough to keen full for
ten years" He got his wish. he LASTED
| just ten years after he got his pile, and
! died after big spree, leaving more than
| 100000 to be divided among his sisters
| children.
Flood asked for the earth, and has been
| trying to get it ever since. He has got a
mortgage on big lot of it, tool HIS house
| at Menlo Park is unequaled on this cont.
nent Architects and builders received
carte blanche, and now "Mc Lord Flood"
lato Of the auction Lunch" lays of in
state, sips his wines or ice cream at will,
| throws his feet up on the piano, and.
casually wiping his lips on the lace
curtains, concludes that life is worth liv-
| ing.
Senator Fair, the other member of the
| firm, Is member of the firm no longer,
himself and Mackay having had mis-
understanding which resulted in him
Fair-cetiring. Mackay and Flood own
the Nevada bank, Mackay and J. &. Ben.
nett, OF the New York Herald, own the
| Commercial Cable, and Mdckay has big
| interest in the Bankers AMI Merchants.
| the new Pacific Coast Lines and the North
American Telegraph Company, of Mime
sofa. His fortune is estimated at $50. uOo,-
600. Flood is said to be worth S20,O0O, OOO
and Fair about Sl2, 0O0,00l
| Senator Jones, another of the old Com
| stock miners who made millions early in
the los, then lost them all in 1879, has
again come to the front through some
luck strikes in Alaska mines. He is n
man of nerve, and every one who knows
him is glad to see him forging ahead once
more.
Senator Hearst is another mining mill
ionaire, but his m lions were not made
on the Comstock. In early days he made
some money there, but he got in with the
notorious J. W. Pearson and lost a fortu ne
in Idaho operations. Then, beng a first
class expert, probably the best to-day, he
formed connection with J. B. Haggin
and Lloyd Tevis, and has been potent
factor in all their great operations for the
past ten years. He is now about sixty
years Of age, Of slight build, erect, full
gray beard, merry twinkle in his eye,
fond of good company, and has an income
of $4,000 per month.